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When Singapore is forced to choose between China and the USA
Hsien Loong has warned that the rivalry between China and the USA may force Singapore and other Asean states to choose side. And this would be difficult time for these small states. If the day comes, what would be Singapore’s choice? Remember, taking sides mean becoming the enemy of the other. Oops, taking the side of China will become the enemy of the Americans. Taking the side of the USA may not necessarily mean becoming the enemy of China. How so?
As far as the Americans are concerned, it is about the American Empire. You are either with us or against us. Any country that is not a vassal state of the American Empire is an enemy of the Empire. The Americans are only interested in being the Empire, controlling the world and dictating to the world under the American world order. In order to extend the reach of the Empire and securing the influence of the Empire, the Americans have direct interest to control countries around the world eg South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam in particular and Asean in general, the Middle Eastern countries, the European countries, Africa etc etc. Regime change is always an American option to control the govt of these countries.
The Chinese have officially announced to the world that it would not seek world domination and hegemony. China only wants to trade and help the world to build infrastructures to promote an interconnected world for more trade and free trade. China will trade with any country without political complications. China would not interfere in the internal affairs of nation states unlike the Americans that insisted that countries must be run like the ‘American version of democracy’ be like them and would conduct regime change if this is not the case.
Being on the Chinese side is all about trade and economic development. Being on the side of the Americans is all about being part of the Empire and fighting wars to keep the Empire growing. China does not have this aspiration and does not demand its friends to go to wars. The Americans demand this and would drag their vassal states by the ears to go to wars for the American Empire.
Other than trade, Singapore also has political and security concerns. It is always wary of being attacked by bigger neighbours when there is a regime change and some ultra nationalist leaders appear and take charge. Singapore has been relying on the Americans for this protection. China was not in a position to do so in the past. And it was natural and the only choice to depend solely on the Americans, and to live with the problems of being part of the American Empire, being dragged into wars, implicated and made enemies of states that it did not want to and unable to say no to the Americans.
China today is as capable as the Americans to protect Singapore from its bigger neighbours if the need arises. For any Asean country to fight a war with China or the USA and thinking of winning is a no brainer. It is a mismatch. A major point is that China does not have an empire dream, to dominate and control the world. Thus, Singapore would not risk being pulled by the ear into a war by an empire, fighting and dying for someone’s empire.
China has also made it a law to protect all Chinese all over the world regardless of nationalities. So anyone thinking that it is convenient to run amok and kill Chinese must think twice harder, that China would not sit idly by when Chinese people are being killed by racists and extremists thugs. Would the Americans lift a finger when this happens? Maybe, maybe not, depending on American interests and what is more important to the Americans. The Americans may even take the side of the extremists if their interests coincide. A good example is the brutal killing of Khashoggi. Khashoggi is dispensable even if he was close to the Americans. The Saudis are more important in the Empire game plan.
What would be Singapore’s choice when it has to choose between the Americans and China? If a banana is in charge, there is no need to guess. The answer is obvious. The bananas believe their ancestors are Europeans and would align with the Americans._________________what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

Mahathir confirmed that Singapore does not need F35s
Some weeks back I questioned the need for Singapore to buy the super expensive toys branded as the most advanced fighter aircraft when the pilot just flies and the aircraft would do everything on its own, finding enemy aircraft and targets and shooting them down. You may even put Ah Meng in it and it would not make any difference, the enemies would be destroyed just like that. My contention is that we do not need such a super clever aircraft for air superiority. Our F15s and F16s would be more than adequate even if our enemies buy the best aircraft like the F35s. These super aircraft are no threat to Singapore even in the possession of the enemies. Why so? How can any aircraft be more superior or effective than our F15s and F16s when their area of operation is on the ground, in the hangars?
Mahathir has indirectly said so during his meeting with Putin recently. He asked putting to send his aircraft technicians to help put the Su 29s that the Malaysian purchased back into the air. The Malaysians may have such aircraft but they could not service them and thus the aircraft could not fly. There is no point buying the best offensive aircraft when they remained on the ground, unserviceable, unable to fly because the ground crew could not maintain them.
What is important to Singapore is to make sure that the F15s and F16s can fly and do the job they are supposed to do. Have no fear in our enemies having the best and most advanced aircraft when they cannot put them in the air, and have no pilots that are good enough, clever enough to not only fly them but to optimize the capabilities of the avionics and weapon systems in the aircraft. If not the best aircraft would only be for show, good on paper, go to have but no cannot be put to use.
On this matter, if Singapore were to buy these super expensive beasts, it would also face the same difficulties as our enemies, to service and maintain them and to have clever pilots that could utilize the aircraft and its weapons systems to do what it could do in the air. The promotional articles saying how easy it is to fly the aircraft and the pilot could actually be flying on auto pilot or even have kopi in the air while the aircraft flies like a robotic war machine with AI and doing everything by itself is an illusion. You need very clever pilots to fly the F35s if they are going to be useful. And you need very clever technicians to keep them flying and not grounded on the tarmac or in the hangars, not knowing what is wrong with the aircraft or waiting for spare parts.
Our train system is teaching us a good lesson. You may have the money to buy the best trains or fighter aircraft. That is only the first step. You have to make sure that you can keep them in working condition to do the job, not breaking down now and then. Engineering today is a very sophisticated hard science. You need to know the stuff and you need the papers to prove that. It is no longer a case of can do the job no paper also can. Failed but given a degree or dilploma also can. When your engineers are not engineers, technicians are not technicians, how to keep the aircraft flying?
If you still have any doubts, ask Mahathir on why he was asking Putin to send Russian technicians to Malaysia._________________what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

Hsien Loong suing Leong Sze Hian for defamation
Leong Sze Hian is being sued by Hsien Loong for sharing an article in thestatestimes alleging that Hsien Loong is complicit in the 1MDB corruption scandal. Leong posted this in his Facebook,
‘According to The Straits Times, Leong shared the article “Breaking News: Singapore Lee Hsien Loong becomes 1MDB’s key investigation target – Najib signed several unfair…” and alleged that former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak had signed “secret deals” with Lee to launder money through Singaporean banks….
Both ST and TOC reported that on Nov. 12, Leong then received a letter from Drew & Napier, demanding that Leong make a public apology and compensate PM Lee for damages.’ Quoted from The mothership
Alleging or accusing someone of corruption, particularly politicians in office is a very dangerous thing unless one has all the evidence and the money to fight an expensive lawsuit. One can be sued until bankrupt or be bankrupted by the fees paid to lawyers even if one wins the case. Not many people have hard evidence to win such cases. Thus it is futile to make such allegations.
While we discuss and criticise govt policies and social, economic and political issues, please stay away from attacking anyone personally especially on corruption or abuse of power. It is not necessary to do so as we are just ordinary citizens and unable to pay the price of a legal tussle or to defend ourselves effectively when being sued. Remember what had happened in the NKF golden tap case. The first whistleblower had to pay damages and apologised even when he was right.
I hope this blog will continue without infringing such taboo areas. Otherwise we would have to abandon this blog for good. So post carefully and be critical on issues but stay away from trouble, from alleging anyone of wrongdoings. Do not be too personal. Don’t throw an egg against a stone wall. Know your limits and your proper place. You can’t punch above your weight as a nobody individual. Accept your fate. Don’t wanna be a dead or bankrupt hero._________________what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

More compulsory insurance schemes?
When I read that the govt is going to take over the Eldershield insurance scheme, I cringed. What, another profitable business taken over by the govt and another compulsory insurance scheme in the making? It was reported that this scheme would be replaced by the compulsory CareShield that would be implemented in 2020 for those between the ages of 30 and 40. In a way the optional ElderShield scheme would be history and the new compulsory CareShield would take its pace.
The only consolation about this announcement is that it would be run on a ‘not for profit’ basis and ‘there will continue to be premium rebates’ said MOH. This is the first time that a compulsory insurance scheme is going to be run on a ‘not for profit’ basis.
What about the other compulsory schemes like CPFLife and MediShieldLife, would they also be converted and run on a ‘not for profit’ basis as well? The principles and intent of these compulsory schemes are the same and rightly these two schemes should also be run on the same basis and NOT for profit.
By the way, how many insurance schemes does a person need? I think as many as they can afford to, say 20 or 100, still will be needed. But how many poor buggers or an average guy can afford so many insurances? Many already are squeezed to have life insurance, not to talk about housing insurance and car insurance, and medical insurances. Of course it is good for you. But is it good or friendly to your pocket, to your life savings in the CPF?
When would enough be enough? Would the number of compulsory insurances go the same way as the nation’s reserves and town council reserves, just keep collecting, as much as possible, unlimited, infinito? What is wrong about collecting more money from the poor buggers?
We can understand that the millionaires have no problem paying for more compulsory and voluntary insurance schemes. If they need more and money not enough, they can write their own pay cheques, increase their own million dollar pay to pay for all the insurances they want and desire. But for the hand to mouth ordinary Singaporeans, this is no joke, this is serious matter, a matter of life and death, a matter of food in the empty stomach, children’s pocket money, a matter of making ends meet.
Please lah, remember, the ordinary average Singaporeans are not millionaires like you and cannot afford to have so many compulsory insurance schemes no matter how good and how desirable. And stop having more designs on their life savings in their CPF. They don’t have much left to be robbed._________________what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

Zero waste campaign
‘S$2 million grant launched to support ground up efforts to support recycling, cut waste. “Through the ‘Towards Zero Waster Grant’, we hope to support ground up initiatives from the people, public and private sectors that will rally the community…” Today paper
Reading this and the first thought came to mind is the billions of dollars being put to waste annually in the most wasteful control of car population scheme, ie scrapping good working condition cars of 10 years old or lesser and turning them in scrap metal and junk. If only someone is conscientious enough to work out a comprehensive scheme to re export all the cars scrapped due to expired COEs, these cars can be still be useful for at least another 10 years on the road and also recover the tremendous loss in value of these cars to their owners. Imagine a handsome car in working condition being scrapped and treated as scrap metal for $200 or less!
And they are all crying so loudly about saving a few tin cans and a few plastic bags! What nonsensical minds at work? Zero waste in saving a few pennies and wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars, millions and billions.
There is another major area of humongous waste, ie enbloc sales of fairly new and younger housing estates, pulled down prematurely to rebuild higher and higher flats to churn money. How wasteful is this exercise?
And the tremendous among of food, good food, quality food, that would go to waste daily at the end of a business day. All this good food can be organized and delivered to the homes instead of being dumped into waste bins or picked up piece meal by some volunteers. The collection of such good food can be institutionalized and be a great savings for the homes or to feed many oldies in citizens corners for free. Why allow this waste to go on and on and crying out loud about zero waste here and there in meaningless and little return programmes?
Is this exercise real or just gimmicks to make some people looking busy and working real hard?_________________what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

Finally there is an article in thenewpaper talking about securing data to preserve trust written by a Dexter Ng, a chief technology officer of AntiHack.me agency based in Singapore. And I think this is a private organization expressing deep concern with the preservation and protection of data and looking from the perspective preserving trust of an organization.

The protection of data is important not just to preserve the trust of an organization in the eyes of its customers. It is far more important and serious than just this. Look at the data of ministries like defence and home affairs, and in the commercial sector the data of corporations and the banks. Can’t imagine what harm the software people could do to a bank if they turn rogues, not only stealing data and misusing the data, what about steal the banks money like the case of the Sri Lanka national bank? Even they start to transfer money out of the bank to their own accounts in some corners of the world? Imagine if the ministries like defence and home affairs were to engage foreigners or new citizens to manage and control their data and operating systems, what kind of risks are being exposed to the foreigners?

A private agency is showing concern about protection of data. Is there or are there govt agencies responsible for this role, regulating and monitoring the risks of exposing our data to foreigners in govt and private enterprises especially GLCs like the banks when a mishap can be disastrous? No, everyone very happy because nothing has happened except a few incidents involving the hacking of MOH? When nothing happens it is fine. And if it happens, then set up a COI to do the investigation and to make recommendations so that it would not happen again?

With the influx of foreigners especially in the IT industry and with foreigners dominating and controlling the IT systems of many big and sensitive organizations and probably even ministries, cannot imagine if the people responsible for the security of the country did not raise a red flag and set up an agency devoted specially to monitor and regulate this industry and the personnel, foreigners being hired in big numbers, overwhelmingly alarming numbers that would present a clear and present danger to organizations and country?

I just hope that I am wrong and they are looking into this seriously. But how are they going to vet foreigners when they have little means to know who they are, not even able to verify their qualifications to the extent that hiring foreigners with fake degrees and qualifications is a norm.

This is another big vulnerable area where Stupidity has no cure is very obvious looking at the tiada apa attitude of hiring so many so called foreign IT experts and professionals in highly sensitive organizations and departments.

Are the security people sleeping? None of their business until something happens or someone woke up and directed them to look into it?_________________what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

Banana are very proud that they cannot speak Mandarin
'If you're Not Chinese in Singapore, You probably don't feel welcome in these places', is an article posted by banana Nicole Chia in Rice, about her experience in a Chinese or Taiwanese restaurant here. She was having dinner with her Australian Chinese friend and very likely both could not read or speak in Mandarin. And the frustrated China Chinese waitress exclaimed,

“啊，气死人!她不可以讲华语。我还以为她是华人 …“ or 'Ah, so frustrating, she could not speak Mandarin. I thought she was Chinese'.

Because of this unpleasant experience, this banana turned the whole issue into a racist rant in Rice and Yahoo News happily propagated this with many bananas and non Chinese adding in to confirm that this is racism against the minorities. Is that so?

Read the comments by the Chinese waitress again, she was likely from China and could not or barely able to speak English. And coming from China, there is this expectation that anyone looking Chinese should or could speak Chinese. They are not like the worldly wise bananas that have travelled all over the world, probably came from some small villages with not much exposure to the outside world.

But the silly bananas were offended by her expectation, wrongly or otherwise, and twisted this into a racial discrimination incident. Of course all the bananas would echo the same feeling and some minorities would be encouraged to condemn the Chinese as racist.

This is a little country where Mandarin is an official language. But many bananas could not speak Mandarin and are damn proud of it, and even prouder because they could speak English and the China Chinese could not. And even if they could speak a few words of Chinese, they deliberately speak to the China Chinese in English to ridicule them as someone inferior. 'See, they could not speak English', as if speaking a foreign language and unable to speak your own mother tongue or your own cultural tongue is something to be proud of, especially in the face of angmohs. 'Hey guys, I am Singaporean, not Chinese, and I can't speak Chinese, it is so difficult to learn Chinese, I hate the language.' And the angmohs would laugh with them, nodding their heads but telling themselves how silly these 'Chinese' are, can't even speak their own lingo. No ethnic pride. No identity, chap cheng.

Stupidity has no cure.

Speaking a foreign language is a good acquisition but nothing to croak about. And the reason why the bananas here only speak English is because of the history of colonialism and poverty, when their forefathers had to leave their home towns to seek a living here. If their forebears would still be in China, these new kids would be happily speaking Mandarin and be very proud of being a part of one of the greatest civilisations on earth. Unfortunately without knowing history, with little knowledge, they are acting as if they have arrived and are to be respected and looked up to because they can speak English but unable to speak their mother tongue. And they are very happy to despise the China Chinese for their inability to speak English or proper English.

They did not know what is the meaning of shame and cultural pride, and ethnic identity. A Chinese is a Chinese wherever you are or however you look or whatever you call yourself. You will not look like your angmoh friends and inside they will also call you a Chinese and will wallop you because you are a Chinese and discriminate against you in their countries.

You bananas are so lucky that you still have this little piece of rock where you are a majority. Once you become a minority in this island, you will likely see signs saying Chinese and dogs not allowed, and the Chinese would be referring to you, even if you speak English.

With so many foreigners given citizenship, be prepared for the day when you become a minority here._________________what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

Wildlife attacked 77 year old man in nursing home
A 77 year old man with dementia was punched up several times by a wildlife, Bernardo JR Perdido Ramos, 36, when the latter knocked into his bed accidentally. The older man sat up from his bed and asked who had disturbed him. It was reported in the ST that Ramos replied, ‘Why? Me!’ ‘The older man responded by hitting Ramos once on his chest and Ramos retaliated by punching the man ‘four or fives times on the face’.’ After another nursing assistant intervened, Ramos hit the old man at least one more time as reported.
Oops, I used the wrong phrase again. It should be foreign talent attacked 77 year old man in nursing home. These wildlife aka foreign talents are very nice people, really. It is so surprising that this one was so fierce, not hiding his wild character and hitting a 77 year old man to show off his brutality.
The court gave this wildlife 12 weeks of jail sentence for hitting ‘a vulnerable victim with severe dementia and Ramos had abused the trust placed him as a nurse’. I am just wondering whether the sentence is too harsh for such a nice wild animal that discredited the good name and profession of nursing. I am also wondering how many such nice wildlife are hiding in nursing homes and yet to shower their basic animal instinct on the patients. Come to think of it, if there are such wildlife in nursing homes, nursing homes can be a very dangerous place for their patients.
Would they do more screening, with more cameras to monitor the wildlife in the name of safety for the patients? Just because a person puts on a uniform be it a nursing uniform or a security guard, it is not automatic that that person is a changed person, becoming a nurse or a security guard as expected of the uniform. We must also accept the fact that it is very difficult to verify the character and nature of the wildlife as they came from places that made verification difficult. It is something that we have to live with if we want to welcome more wildlife here as if they are indispensable to our life and economic well being. Suffer a bit at the hands of the wildlife is tolerable, bearable. Let it be, never mind, we need more wildlife to help us. No need rethinking._________________what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

Singapore fixed by CNN to be anti China
Singapore is in damage control mode after being complicit by a CNN report that it is a party to the American’s anti China policy in the region. CNN claimed that the purchase of F35 fighter jets was ‘indicative of growing concerns within Asia regarding China’s regional ambitions’. The report ‘also suggested that the acquisition carried a message to China as Singapore will become “the fourth American ally” in the Pacific region to won F35s, after Australia, Japan and South Korea”. It also made it a point to magnify ‘Singapore as a “close and long time US ally” that even hosts a US Navy facility’.
With all the praises of how close Singapore is in the American camp and with the American pitching against the Chinese presence in the region, Singapore has been dragged into the deep pit of the American design to contain China, in the camp opposing China. This message to China is what the Americans are putting into Singapore’s mouth to compromise Singapore’s position and forced Singapore into the American camp and unable to extricate itself. With friends like the Americans, who needs enemies?
Singapore is now furiously trying to dispute this allegation. Mindef has came out strongly to deny this and that the acquisition of the F35s ‘is for Singapore’s own defence deterrence and not directed against or to align itself with any particular country… and Singapore is not a treaty ally of the US’.
After being tarred and feathered deliberately by the CNN as an American lackey, would the explanation by Mindef makes any difference in the eyes of China? Would China really believe that Singapore is not anti China, and not to forget with so many anti China articles in the Singapore media, not only written by foreigners but also written and produced by Singaporeans?
How would China view Singapore with all these developments? How would Singapore convince China that it is not anti China? Is there anything that Singapore can do to tell China that these are all white lies, Singapore is innocent?
Is Singapore in deeper trouble with China now? As they said, jump into the Yellow River also cannot cleanse oneself. The Americans are hyping this purchase as confirmation that Asean countries wanting the presence of the Americans in the region. It is not so simple as buying 4 F35s. The Americans are exploiting Singapore’s purchase to fix Singapore as anti China.
Better send Chan Chun Sing to China as a special envoy of Hsien Loong to explain Singapore’s real position. Not sure if it would make any difference._________________what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

Many would take this nonsensical comment that Singapore is land scarce as the gospel truth and would subscribe to all the follow up measures the govt is taking to increase land and building high and low and into the sea. An analogy to this is the claim that the politicians are underpaid despite their multi million dollar salary that is out of this world. The logic is simple economics. They have unlimited wants and nothing is enough. Give them a billion dollar salary and they would claim not enough.

Singapore is land scarce, based on what logic or reasoning? When there are only 2 persons on the island, Singapore would have excess of land for two on the island. Singapore would still be comfortable with the existing 724 sq km of land if it does not have the megalomaniac desire to grow its population to 7m or more. Similarly, Singapore would have enough water resources if it does not have this wild and flirtatious plan for population expansion just for the reason of economic growth and growth that is unsustainable and a double edged sword that would eventually destroyed Singapore.

There is no need for all the extravagant and expensive building projects to create more land just to bring in more wildlife into the island. Be satisfied, enough, and grow the economy by quality, by higher productivity, not by adding more wildlife into the island and claims that land is scarce, water not enough, and must resort to very expensive solution that would only raise the cost of living in the island.

The proposed futuristic islands in the sea are well and good, but at what cost and who can afford it? Are they necessary if we don't increase our population to the point of bursting at the seams?

Singapore has plenty of land, more than enough, if we stop this irresponsible and dangerous population explosion scheme. Singapore is not land scarce if the govt does not make unduly demands on the land by wanting to put in another few millions of wildlife here._________________what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

The Rape of the Stock Market
There use to be a saying, the stock market is always there. No matter how quiet or depressing is the state of market activities, the stock market will not die or go away. This use to be the unspoken truth but I am increasingly seeing the stock market dying or shrinking to a point that it is no longer meaningful.
The whole rational for the existence of a stock market has been eroded by the proliferation of derivatives and computer tradings. Derivatives are instruments that piggyback on stocks and diverting interests from trading stocks directly, thus undermining the real value of stocks. The more funds are diverted to trade in derivatives, the lesser will be the interests in stocks. Algo and computer trading are more dangerous to the values of stocks as they have no interest or respect for the real value and prices of stocks. They trade either way to profit and could drive the prices of stocks against their real values, against their fundamentals. As a result, stock prices are in their doldrums and many are undervalued and defeat the purpose for listing. When listed companies could not raise funds from the market due to unacceptably low PEs against high listing fees and costs, many good companies would choose to delist instead.
Yes, there will be IPOs. But these are desperadoes wanting to raise some funds from the public. Unfortunately such fund raisings are likely to be a one time affair. After listing, through lack of investor support and a stock market in coma, many stocks would end up as penny stocks, worthless, left to die prematurely and ended up being suspended from trading.
The short sighted fund managers and exchange administrators could not see further than their eyes as to where the stock market is heading. Without the stock market, there would not be any derivatives to talk about. Without the stock market, the REITs too would disappear. Without the stock market, the computer traders would have no where to trade and exploit the small investors.
The whole stock gambling industry is based on the existence of a stock market, real or fictitious. Neglect and allowing the stock market to die a natural death would drag the whole industry into the grave.
New gambling chits could be devised as variation of derivatives without the stock market. Some may think this is a viable option, trading in fictitious paper instruments in place of real stocks and shares. If the administrators continue to choose to let the stock market peters away as an irrelevant or obsolete beast, can there still be computer trading, derivatives, fund investments, online trading etc etc that are parts and parcels of a thriving finance industry? The stock market is the corner stone on which a whole industry is built on.
The stock market depends not only on the derivative writers, the algo and computer traders, but also on the listed companies and the investors. A stock market that only protects the derivative writers and algo/computer traders and failed to protect the interests of listed companies and investors would lose its raison d’tre to exist. When companies see it futile to list in a stock exchange there will be no need or interest in the exchange.
Whither the stock market? Why is the stock market dying? When would the abuse and rape of the stock market be put to an end?_________________what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

The title The Atlantic selected for the video—”When Your Land Is Stolen From Beneath Your Feet”—may sound emotionally manipulative until we remember that theft was what the Singapore Prime Minister advised Singaporeans to do in order to stay ahead of global economic competition. As reported in TODAY,PM Lee Hsien Loong urged, “Singapore must not only protect its lunch but steal other people’s lunches.” This is not merely an unfortunate use of language, but a refrain repeated by Singapore’s leaders and citizens. However, one can no longer excuse Singaporeans by thinking that they are victims of brainwashing by the state. No, they are in cahoots with the government to extract the most from their poorer neighbors for themselves—sand, water, human labor. It makes one deeply ashamed to be a Singaporean, to be so morally bankrupt.

Jee Leong Koh posted the above in an article in the TRE. This Mr Jee or Mr Koh, I am confused, only bananas could do this kind of thing, to confuse others in the way they write their names, has an important point to make. His article was about Singapore buying sand from Cambodia by dredging its rivers and causing damage to the rivers ecosystem. True, everything human beans do affects the environment and lives around them. Dredging the river is only a small part of it, nature will repair it when things settle down, just like the reclamation of land from the sea. Life will find its own way back and thrives again, as long as the damage done is not permanent and beyond repair.

There are many worse things that we are doing daily to destroy the ecosystem and life on earth that we do not seem to care about right in the heart of this island. The worse thing that we are doing to kill ourselves and planet earth is the indiscriminate population of life on earth. Thing of all the things and livestock needed to sustain a life of 80 or 90 years. Thing of depleting the ocean of fishes because of the growing population, the consumption of raw material and energy and energy production etc etc. Dredging some rivers, if done responsibility is a necessity, to keep the river healthy for the ecosystem. It is greed, and irresponsible actions that are most destructive, just like natural population grow and death against inflating of population recklessly and irresponsibly.

But this is not the main contention of my article. My point is from this sentence, ”When Your Land Is Stolen From Beneath Your Feet”. Do the daft Singaporeans understand that your land is being stolen from beneath your feet by the foreigners being imported here in huge numbers that are unsustainable? Think of a confine space with 2 white mice, then 10, then 100, then 1000 and so on. When would the numbers reach a point when every mice will be fighting and eating each other?

The foolish concept of economic growth without looking at the limitation of space and the ecosystem can only come from fools with eyes blinded and not seeing further than the tip of their nose. Our country is being stolen from beneath our feet without the daft knowing what is happening._________________what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

Shanmugam – A sensible speech in Parliament on hate speech
Seldom did we hear such an elaborate and detailed speech by Shanmugam on an issue being debated in Parliament. On the new bill being tabled on hate speech, Shanmugam spent time labouriously to explain the rationale of wanting this bill but also made a provision that even though it is being tabled, it is for discussion and may or may not lead to a new law.
What is pertinent is the way the govt will treat and judge what is hate speech which also includes offensive speech. Offensive speech can deteriorate and slide down to become adverse and may lead to ‘discrimination and eventual violence’ like hate speech. But before a judgement is passed on hate speech or offensive speech, the govt will look ‘at how offensive the materials or words are, and assesses its impact on the reaction of the different communities…depending on who says it and in what context’. It is thus not so simple to brand everything from the word go as hate or offensive speech. The govt will also look ‘at the nature of the event where the speech is made and its reach…the immediate reaction, and consider the security implications, both short and long term, such as the deepening of fault lines.’
All in all it is also about common sense and a bit of give and take. The govt will be neutral and recognize the different histories and traditions of various groups but would not ‘be directed by the viewpoint of people who are extremely sensitive’.
Hate speech and offensive speech is not simply black and white and every case must be carefully determined before the govt would take action, at least this is what I read from Shanmugam’s explanation.
Ok, you guys here, please avoid offensive speeches and comments that could lead to division and hate and eventual violence. Be very careful and sensitive towards others and their feelings. I know many of your comments border on offensive speeches. Please do not continue to repeat them.
Thank you.
PS. According to thenewpaper, ‘Opinions, criticisms, satire and parody will not be considered illegal’._________________what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.